Weft wire feed mechanism



Nov. 7, 1950 N. s. HART'ER I 2,528,881

WEFT WIRE FEED MECHANISM Filed Dec. 4, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 mvenzm: N -/V0 4/7 5- HA /975e,

Nov. 7, 1950 -N. s. HARTER WEFT WIRE FEED MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 4, 1947 [mm d0}? N04 5. #42759,

Nov. 7, 1950 N. s. HARTER 2,528,881

WEF'T WIRE FEED MECHANISM Filed Dec. 4, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 [mm Liam. /V0/4// 5. #497758,

Patented Nov. 7, 1950 WEFT WIRE FEED MECHANISM Noah S. Harter, Waukegan, Ill., assignor to The American Steel and Wire Company of New Jersey, a corporation of New Jersey Application December 4, 1947, Serial No. 789,626

15 Claims. 1 This invention relates to weft wire feed mechanisms for wire fabric looms.

Weft wire feed mechanisms are known in which weft wires are pushed into the bight of the warp wires in the loom by feed rollers that are driven continuously and alternately engage and disengage the weft wires. Such mechanisms are shown for example in my prior Patents No. 2,245,584, issued June 17, 1941; No. 2,355,159, issued August 8, 1944; and No. 2,363,415, issued November 21, 1944. Feed mechanisms of this type have several advantages, principal ones being that they make possible high speed operation and they are smooth running, since the mechanism is driven continuously.

In previously preferred feed mechanisms embodying this principle, shown in the first two of the foregoing patents, a continuously driven puller drum withdraws wire from a pay-off reel via guides and directs the wire to a pair of smooth faced, idling pinch rollers. The wire then passes through a slack box, through additional guides and tensioning rollers and into the feed rollers. The puller drum, pinch rollers, tensioning rollers and feed rollers all rotate on parallel horizontal axes.

In usual 100m operation weft wires are crimped after they are fed into the bight of the warp wires by pressure from the latter when the heddles are reversed. Nevertheless devices are known for precrimping the weft wires before they are fed to.the loom and are employed when the gauge or hardness of the weft wires renders them too stiff to be crimped by the warp wires. Such devices commonly comprise a pair of power driven crimping rollers that have mating externally projecting radial spokes between which the wire is fed and which bend an undulating series of crimps in the Wire. Such a device is described more fully hereinafter.

Precrimping devices heretofore have not been applied to continuously driven feed mechanisms as illustrated in my aforementioned patents. Previous designs of these mechanisms do not admit of the installation of precrimping devices inasmuch as all of the rollers turn on horizontal axes. Thus the tensioning and feed rollers would flatten any crimps developed in the wires.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide improved weft wire feed mechanism of the type having continuously driven feed rollers wherein optionally either crimping rollers or smooth faced pinch rollers may be employed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a weft wire feed mechanism of the continuously driven feed roller type and having power driven crimping rollers which operate continuously and are not subject to feeding stresses.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved weft wire feed mechanism of the continuously driven feed roller type wherein the feed rollers and tensioning rollers rotate on vertical axes and engage the sides of the wires, thereby not interfering with vertical crimps developed in the wire.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided improved details of structure, a preferred form of which is shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is an end elevational view of a wire fabric loom having an improved weft wire feed mechanism embodying features of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the improved weft wire feed mechanism;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detailed view of the :rimping rollers;

Figure 4 is a schematic representation of the gearing arrangement for driving the crimping rollers; and

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional View taken substantially on line V--V of Figure 2.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

In Figure 1 there is shown a wire fabric loom II] that may be of any usual construction, although I have illustrated a loom similar to those shown in my earlier patents hereinbefore referred to. Associated with said loom is a feed mechanism I2 for feeding weft wires I3 to the fabric. The feed mechanism is illustrated as including fixed and movable guides I4 and I5 connected by a flexible tube I6, as described and claimed in my prior Patent No. 2,355,159. However, it is not material to th present invention whether the guides are of this or some other design.

Feed mechanism I2 includes a housing I! fixed to the side of the loom. The main horizontal drive shaft of the loom, designated I8, carries a sprocket I9 adjacent said housing, Figures 2 and 5. A horizontal shaft 20, parallel to shaft I 8, is journaled in a suitable bearing 2| on the loom frame and in a bearing bracket 22 that depends from the outer portion of housing I'I, Figure 1. The direction of the axis of shaft 20 is hereinafter designated as longitudinal of the feed mechanism, although it is transverse to the loom.

. Shaft 20 carries a sprocket 23 and is driven from main drive shaft It by a chain 24 that connects sp ck ts I 9 and 23- illustrated in Figure 3.

Shaft is formed of two segments connected by a clutch 25 that may be engaged or disengaged by a lever 25, Figure 1. In accordance with usual practice, each time a new supply of weft wire is introduced to the feed mechanism.

A bearing frame is carried by housing If at its outer extremity and provides a mounting for a rotatable puller drum 5!, rotatable crimping or pinch rollers 32 and 33. a fixed slack box 34 and fixed lower and upper guide shoes 35 and 35. Puller drum 3! and rollers 32 and 35 are continuously driven from sprocket 29 as hereinafter described; V

A transverse shaft 37 is journaled in frame 35 and carries a sprocket 38, a spur, gear 39 and roller 32, Figure 2. Shaft 3'! is driven by a chain 40 that connects sprockets 29 and 38, Figures 1, 2 and 4. As best shown in the diagrammatic illustration in Figure 4, gear'59 drives an idler spur gear 4!, which in turn drives a spur gear 42 on a shaft 43 which carries puller drum 3!. Idler gear M also drives a second idler gear '54 which inturn drives a, spur gear-45 on a shaft which carries roller' 33/ Thus puller drum 3! and rollers 52 and 33 are continuousl 'driven in the directions indicated in Figure 4.

In accordance with the mode of operation illustrated in my previous patents, several convolutions of wire l3 are snubbed around puller drum {H which continuously withdraws wire from a pay-off reel and directs such wire to rollers 32-and 33. The gear ratio is such that the puller drum withdraws a length of wire during each loom cycle equivalent to one pick length. In the mechanism of the present invention, rollers 32 and 33 may be either crimping rollers or smooth-faced pinch rollers, crimping rollers being illustrated. It is apparent that these crimping rollers may be replaced with smooth faced rollers any time that precrimping is unnecessary.

The details ofpreferred crimping rollers are The rollers have radially directed external spokes '42" between which wire passes, and which bend crimps therein. Roller 32 is mounted for angular adjustment on bolts 48 that protrude from a backing plate and are received in arcuate slots 49 in said roller. Such adjustment is needed to insure that spokes 4'! on the two crimping rollers mesh at uniform intervals. Shaft 45, which carries roller 33, is mounted for translational adjustment in'bearings 5E3 slidably supported on frame 35 and retained in adjusted position by- 'a threaded spindle 5!. This latter adjustment is for the purpose of adjusting the'depth of crimps. The outer edge of roller 32 is preferabl surrounded by a guard 52 which prevents wire in slack box 34 becoming entangled with spokes '41;

From rollers 32 and 53 wire enters slack box 35, which is of the same construction shown in my prior patents and performs the same function, namely to permit wire to accumulate between successive feeding engagements of thefeed rollers. Since the puller drum withdraws wire continuously and the feed rollers feed only intermittently, the slack box is needed to ac mmodate wire withdrawn by the puller drum while the feed rollers are not feeding. It is seen that precrimping, as well as wire withdrawal, is

continuous.

From the slack box wire l3 passes over guide shoe 35 and under guide shoe 36 and then between tensioning rollers 53, rotatably mounted on the top of housing I'l. Said tensioning rollers rotate on vertical axes and thus engage the sides of the wire and do not tend to flatten vertical crimps therein.

Next wire l3 enters a guide 54 which directs it to continuously driven feed rollers 55 and 55. Said feed rollers are fixed tovertical shafts 5! and 58 respectively, rotatably supported in housing ll, Figure 5.

Vertical shaft 58 is journaled in fixed bearings in housing H. For driving shaft 58, a transverse shaft 59 is iournaled in the base of the housing and connected to shaft 53 via bevel gears 60, Figures 1 and. 5. Shaft 59 carries a sprocket, El and shaft 51 carries an additional sprocket 62. Sprockets BI and 62 are connect'ed'by a chain 53. Thus the drive to vertical shaft 53 is from lon gituolinal shaft 20, via gears 28, transverse shaft 2?, sprocket 29, chain 40, sprcckettSQtransverse' shaft 31, sprocket 62, chain 63; sprocket 5i, trans verse shaft 59 and gears 60.

Vertical shaft 57 ismounted for limited, inand-out movement so' that feed roller 55 fixed thereon may alternately engage and disenga e wire iii to provide a timed intermittent f ed of wire to the loom. 'As shown in Figure 5, the

lower end of shaft 5'! is journaled in a bearing 54, which is movable'on a horizontal axis. such movement being in the plane of the figure. The upper portion of shaft 51 is journaledin a bearing 65, which is transversely slidable in 'ovsi'ng H. A compression spring 55' bears bet een housing l! and bearing 65 and urges the latter outwardly to a position where feed roller 55 is free of the wire. Shaft 5l-and feed roller 55 thereon are driven from shaft 58 by meshing spur gears 67 and 68 that permit some sidewise movement of shaft 51 with-out becoming disengaged.

For closing feed roller 55 against wire IS, a bell crank 69, the arms of which are spaced longitudinally, as shown in Figure 1, is supported on a longitudinal shaft l0 for movement on a "orizontal axis. The upper arm of bell crank 69 carries a set screw H that abuts bearing 55, Fi ure 5. The opposite arm of said bell crank carri s a cam follower 12 that engages a cam 13 on ma n shaft l8 of the loom, being held in engagement therewith by 'acompression spring 15. I

Whenever the loom parts are in' positionto, receive weft wire, cam liautbinatically' rotates bell crank 69 counterclockwis and thus moves feed roller 55 against wire l3. Rollers 55 and 5 5 7 then cooperate to feed wire to the 100111. The

relation of cam 13 and the loom parts is such. that after a complete weft Wire has been fed, bell crank 69 rotates clockwise and spring 65 forces roller 55 away from wire 53 to stop feeding of the weft wire. In accordance with usual operation, the weft wire is sheared during the interval in which feeding is halted and the heddles are reversed and the fabric advanced to receive another weft wire.

From feed rollers 55 and 56, wire I3 passes through a guide 14', similar to guide 54 that precedes the feed rollers. Guides 54 and "M are supported on housing 11 and preferably are readily demountable so that they may be easily replaced 1 when worn. From guide 14, the wire enters guides I4 and [5 after the fashion shown in my earlier patents.

The principal improvement in the present invention is the provision for use of precrimping rollers when desired. This improvement is made possible by mounting the tensionin rollers and the feed rollers for rotation on vertical axes so that they do not tend to flatten the crimps. All wire feeding is motivated by the puller drum and the feed rollers. Thus there are no stresses of feeding on the precrimping rollers.

While I have shown but a single embodiment of the invention, it is apparent that modifications may arise. Therefore I do not wish to be limited by the disclosure set forth, but only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a wire fabric loom, a weft wire feed mechanism comprising rotatable means adapted optionally to mount crimping rollers or smooth faced pinch rollers, and rotatable feed rollers adapted to be driven continuously and to engage and disengage wire alternately to feed the same from said first named rotatable means, the axes of said feed rollers being disposed at right angles to the axes of said first named rotatable means.

2. In a wire fabric loom, a weft wire feed mechanism comprising means adapted to withdraw wire from a supply thereof, rotatable means adapted optionally to mount crimping rollers or smooth faced pinch rollers to engage wire from said withdrawing means, and rotatable feed rollers adapted to be driven continuously and to engage and disengage wire alternately to feed the same from said first named rotatable means, the axes of said feed rollers being disposed at right angles to the axes of said first named rotatable means.

3. In a wire fabric loom, a weft wire feed mechanism, comprising means adapted to withdraw wire from a supply thereof, means rotatable on horizontal axes adapted optionally to mount crimping rollers or smooth faced pinch rollers to engage wire from said withdrawing means, and a pair of feed rollers rotatable on vertical axes adapted to be driven continuously and to engage and disengage the wire alternately to feed the same from said first named rotatable means.

4. In a wire fabric loom, a weft wire feed mechanism comprising means adapted to withdraw wire from a supply thereof, a pair of rotatable crimping rollers to engage wire from said withdrawing means, and a pair of rotatable feed roller adapted to be driven continuously and to engage and disengage the wire alternately to feed the same from said crimpin rollers, the axes of rotation of said feed rollers being disposed at right angles to the aXes of rotation of said crimping rollers.

5. In a wire fabric loom, a weft wire feed mechanism comprising means adapted to withdraw wire from a supply thereof, a pair of crimping rollers rotatable on horizontal axe to engage wire from said withdrawing means, and a pair of feed rollers rotatable on vertical axes and adapted to be driven continuously and to engage and disengage the wire alternately to feed the same from said crimping rollers.

6. In a wire fabric loom, a weft wire feed mech anism comprising means adapted to withdraw wire continuously from a supply thereof, means rotatable continuously adapted optionally to mount crimping rollers or smooth faced pinch rollers to engage wire from said withdrawing means, a pair of rotatable feed rollers adapted to be driven continuously and alternately to engage and disengage the wire to feed the same from said first named rotatable means, the axes of rotation of said feed rollers being disposed at right angles to the axes of rotation of said first named rotatable means, and means for accumulating slack between successive feedings.

'7. In a wire fabric loom, a weft wire feed mechanism comprising means adapted to withdraw wire continuously from a supply thereof, means rotatable continuously on horizontal axes adapted'optionally to mount crimping rollers or smooth faced pinch rollers to engage wire from said Withdrawin means, a pair of feed rollers rotatable on vertical axes and adapted to be driven continuously and alternately to engage and disengage the wire to feed the same from said first named rotatable means, and mean adiacent said first named rotatable means for accumulating slack therefrom between successive feedings.

8. In a wire fabric loom, a weft wire feed mechanism comprising means adapted to withdraw wire continuously from a supply thereof, a pair of crimping rollers rotatable continuously to engage wire from said withdrawing means, a pair of rotatable feed rollers adapted to be driven continuously and alternately to engage and disengage the wire tofeed the same from said crimping rollers, the axes of rotation of said feed rollers being disposed at right angles to the axes of rotation of said crimping rollers, and means adjacent said crimping rollers for accumulating slack therefrom between successive feedings.

9. In a wire fabric loom, a weft wire feed mechanism comprising means adapted to withdraw wire continuously from a supply thereof, a pair of crimping rollers rotatable continuously on horizontal axes to engage wire from said withdrawing means, a pair of feed rollers rotatable on vertical axes adapted to be driven continuously and alternately to engage and disengage wire to feed the same from said crimping rollers, and means adjacent said crimping rollers for accumulating slack therefrom between successive feedings.

10. In a wire fabric loom, a weft wire feed mechanism comprising means rotatable on horizontal axes and adapted optionally to mount crimping rollers or smooth faced pinch rollers, a pair of feed rollers rotatable on vertical axes and between which the wire passes from said first named rotatable means, means for'driving said feed rollers continuously, means normally urging said feed rollers apart, and cam means operable by the loom mechanism for cyclically closing said feed rollers on the wire for feeding the same.

11. In a wire fabric loom, a weft wire feed mechanism comprising means adapted to withdraw wire from a supply thereof, a pair of crimping rollers rotatable on horizontal axes to engage wire from said withdrawing means, a pair of feed rollers rotatable on vertical axes and between which the wire passes from said crimping rollers, means for driving said feed rollers continuously, means normally urging said feed rollers apart, and cam means operable by the loom mechanism for cyclically closing said feed rollers on the wire for feeding the same.

12. In a wire fabric loom, a weft wire feed mechanism comprising means adapted to withdraw wire continuously from a supply thereof, a

pair of crimping rollers continuously rotatable on horizontal axes to engage wire from said withdrawing means, a pair of feed rollers rotatable on vertical axes and between which wire passes from said crimpin rollers, means for driving said feed rollers continuously, means normally urging said feed rollers apart, cam means operable by the loom mechanism for cyclically closing said feed rollers on the wire for feeding the same, and means adjacent said crimping rollers for accumulating slack therefrom between successive feedings. V

13. In a wire fabric loom, a Weft wire feed mechanism comprising a rotatable puller drum adapted to withdraw Wire from a supply thereof, a pair of crimping rollers rotatable on horizontal axes to engage wire from said puller drum, a pair of feed rollers rotatable on vertical axes and between which the wire passes from said crimping rollers, means for continuously driving said puller drum, said crimping rollers and said feed rollers, means normally urging said feed rollers apart, cam means operable by the loom mechanism for cyclically closing said feed rollers on the wire for feeding the same, and means adjacent said crimping rollers for accumulating slack therefrom between successive feedings.

14. In a wire fabric loom, a weft wire feed mechanism comprising support means fixed to the loom, a power driven shaft carried by said support means and rotatable on a horizontal axis, a rotatable puller drum-adapted to withdraw wire from a suppl thereof, a pair of crimping rollers carried by said support means and rotatable on horizontal axes disposed at right angles to the axis of said shaft and engageable with wire from said puller drum, a pair of feed rollers carried by said support means and rotatable on-vertical axes and between which the wire passes from said crimpin rollers, means for continuously driving said puller drum, said crimping rollers, and said feed rollers from said shaft, means normally urging said feed rollers apart, cam means operable'by the loom mechanism for cyclically closing said feed rollers On the wire for feeding the same, and means carried by said support means adjacent said crimping rollers for accumulating slack therefrom between successive feedings.

15. Ina wire fabric loom, a weftwire feed mechanism comprising' a rotatable puller drum adapted to withdraw wire from a supply thereof,

a pair of crimping rollers rotatable on horizontal 7 axesto engage wire from said puller drum, a pair of rotatable feed rollers between which wire passes from said crimping rollers, a vertical shaft rotatable on a fixed axis carrying one of'said feed rollers, a vertical shaft mounted for limited sidewise movement carrying the other feed roller, means for continuously driving said puller drum, said crimping rollers and said vertical shafts, means normally urging vertical shafts apart, cam means operable by the loo-In mechanism for cyclically closing said feed rollers on the wire for feeding the same, and means adjacent said crimping rollers for accumulating slack therefrom b tween successive feedings.

NOAH S. HARTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: I

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

